The present invention relates to a glove compartment located in an instrument panel of a vehicle.
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, an instrument panel 110 of a vehicle has an accommodation space 112 for accommodating a glove compartment 111. A rectangular opening 112a of the accommodation space 112 is formed in a side of the accommodation space 112 close to an occupant (on the rear side with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle). A lid 113 of the glove compartment 111 (see FIG. 3B) is pivotally supported at the sides of the lower portion of the opening 112a. 
Engagement steps 117 are formed at the both sides of the opening 112a, and lid steps 116 are formed at the both sides of the lid 113 of the glove compartment 111. The engagement steps 117 of the opening 112a and the lid steps 116 can be engaged with each other. When the lid 113 of the glove compartment 111 closes the opening 112a, the engagement steps 117 contact the lid steps 116. This prevents the lid 113 from intruding into the accommodation space 112 by an excessive degree. Therefore, the ornamental surface of the lid 113 is substantially flush with the ornamental surface of the instrument panel 10 about the opening portion 112a. As a result, the appearance of the instrument panel 110 about the glove compartment 111 is improved.
A gap adjuster 118 is located substantially in a vertical center of each engagement step 117. The gap adjusters 118 hold the lid 113 at a predetermined position, thereby adjusting the gap d (see FIG. 3B) between the corresponding side edge of the lid 113 and the edge of the opening portion 112a. Each gap adjuster 118 has a guide surface 118a on which the side edge of the corresponding lid step 116 slides, and smoothly guides the lid step 116 until it contacts the lid engagement step 117. When the glove compartment 111 is closed with the lid 113, the left and right gap adjusters 118 hold the lid 113 of the glove compartment 111 in between, and maintains the gap d between each side edge of the lid 113 and the edge of the opening 112a. This further improves the appearance of the instrument panel 110 surrounding the glove compartment 111, and prevents the glove compartment 111 from chattering due to vehicle vibrations.
However, in the prior art glove compartment 111, the lid 113 can be ill-fitted due to warping. Also, when the temperature in the passenger compartment is high, the lid 113 is thermally expanded, which can result in thermal deformation. Accordingly, the holding force between the sides of the lid 113 and the gap adjusters 118 can be excessively increased. In such a case, the lid 113, which is held by the gap adjusters 118 located on the left and right sides of the lid 113, does not open by its own weight.